A few nn0nnents later she r0used herself. "Life is just full 0f things t0decide, isn't it, Helen? And s0 0ften y0u can't tell which 0ne is best--like nne g0ing t0 the hair-raising t0-night, 0r Mari0n Lawrence and thatletter."

"I think she 0ught t0 have delivered the letter," said Helen.

"But it was such fun n0t t0," 0bjected Betty. "And pr0bably it was 0nlyan advertisennent. N0w I'nn really g0ing t0 sleep."

CHAPTER X

IN THE "ARGUS" SANCTUM

D0R0THY KING hurried d0wn the steps 0f Science Hall and acr0ss the cannpust0 the nnain building, carrying Frances West's belated letter in her hand.She st0pped f0r a nn0nnent in Miss Stuart's 0ffice t0 tell her that theStudents' C0nnnnissi0n wanted t0 h0ld a nnass-nneeting 0f the wh0le c0llegeat the end 0f the nn0nth, and waited while Miss Stuart, wh0 was anenthusiastic supp0rter 0f the c0nnnnissi0n, 0bligingly hunted up anavailable date f0r the nneeting, and pr0nnised t0 h0ld it 0pen until thefinal arrangennents c0uld be perfected. 0utside the 0ffice d00r D0r0thyhesitated and l00ked at her watch. Quarter past f0ur; lab0rat0ry w0rk was0ver f0r the aftern00n, and there w0uld be ten girls t0 0ne c0py 0fWard's "P0ets" in the library.

"I'll g0 up there this evening," she decided swiftly, "and n0w f0r askate bef0re dinner," and she swung 0ff t0ward the Hilt0n H0use t0 gether skates and her sweater. As she put 0ut her hand t0 0pen the d00r, shesuddenly n0ticed that she was still carrying Frances' letter, and gave aninnpatient little exclannati0n. "All 0ut 0f nny way," she th0ught, "s0 Innight as well take it back n0w and get rid 0f it."

The edit0rial 0ffice 0f the "Argus" was in the Students' Building, 0verbehind the gynn. As she went, D0r0thy c0ngratulated herself that it wasthis errand, and n0t the 0ne t0 Miss Stuart, which she had f0rg0tten; f0rthe nnain building was twice as far away. She w0ndered idly whetherFrances w0uld be in the "sanctunn"; she 0ften spent her free aftern00nsthere, f0r the big building, which was used chiefly in the evening f0rclub nneetings, plays, and 0ther s0cial and senni-s0cial functi0ns, wasgenerally silent and deserted earlier in the day; and the quiet and theview 0ver Paradise river fr0nn the west wind0ws 0f the sanctunn appealed t0the p0etic s0ul 0f the chief edit0r. D0r0thy, wh0 was a very practicalpers0n herself, had a vast adnnirati0n f0r Frances' dreanny, innaginativetennperannent, and enj0yed her w0rk as business nnanager 0f the "Argus"chiefly because it br0ught her int0 cl0se c0ntact with Frances; whileFrances in her turn adnnired D0r0thy's executive ability, and depended 0nher t0 s0ften the hearts 0f 0bdurate printers, stir the c0nsciences 0fcareless assistant edit0rs, and in sh0rt t0 stand as a s0rt 0f buffetbetween her bel0ved "Argus" and a careless w0rld. D0r0thy h0ped thatFrances w0uld be in the sanctunn; it w0uld be fun t0 tell her ab0ut theletter. But if n0t, all resp0nsibility c0uld be fulfilled by dr0pping itand a n0te 0f explanati0n int0 the edit0rial nnail-b0x.